


She Gave Jared Her Number

by halo_zero



Category: Silicon Valley (TV)
Genre: Anxiety, Clumsiness, Eye Contact, F/M, Female Friendship, First Kiss, First Meeting, I have no idea what I'm doing, I love Jarrich but I can't write it so I won't, Impulsiveness, Meeting at a Party, Nerdiness, POV Original Character, Shyness, Social Anxiety, Socially awkward, exchanging numbers, not being able to express yourself verbally, not knowing how to flirt, not knowing how to make eye contact, this guy fucks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:53:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26129848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halo_zero/pseuds/halo_zero
Summary: I wrote everything out of order, so I guess this happens first chronologically?A shy, socially awkward programmer is talked into attending a huge corporate party.She ends up meeting Jared Dunn.
Relationships: Jared Dunn/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	She Gave Jared Her Number

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone else writes Jarrich so beautifully, so I wrote about a nerdy, introverted young woman who ends up meeting Jared Dunn.
> 
> It's told from her point of view.
> 
> That is all. Thank you.

What was she even doing here?

It was another huge corporate party, filled with people from all reaches of her line of work, looking to make connections. The minority were most assuredly the thinkers, programmers, workhorses, and creators, who as a general rule, avoided these social gatherings like the plague. Unless it was absolutely necessary.

People like herself, who just wanted to do their jobs, and perhaps, if lucky, have the opportunity to earn a living doing something that they either enjoy, have skill with, or both. Most of the more intellectual, innovative and hard-working individuals were not blessed with social skills, and made for awkward conversation at best.

Lillian herself was painfully shy, and had been coerced into attending this atrocity by her more outgoing and talented friend Jamie. 

“You never go anywhere!” She had accused earlier, as Lillian sat on the couch eating Captain Crunch, fully prepared for an evening in front of the TV.

“Come on Lilly,” Jamie had pressed, “I don’t want to show up at this thing alone.”

So, Lillian had consented, and even allowed the more fashion-forward Jamie to guide her with preparation. She had mildly protested the eye makeup, but drew the line when Jamie proposed that she wear a low-cut blouse.

“Why don’t you ever show them off?” Jamie teased, and they both laughed.

“It makes me uncomfortable,” Lillian argued. “Look, can you just help me with my hair instead? I never know what to do with it.”

So, a few hours later, there she was. She felt too tall in the heeled boots beneath her black slacks, but she did enjoy the flattering waves Jamie had styled with her ash-brown hair. She usually stuck to black or gray as a general rule, but Jamie had talked her into wearing a soft and flattering burgundy blouse and sweater, something that didn’t reveal too much. Still, Lillian always felt out of place at these things. She had done her best to be agreeable to those she was introduced to, but after an hour or so, she excused herself to a standing table to stand back and people-watch, and not endure the agonizing pressure of having to listen or speak to anyone else.  


She took a sip from her club soda, mildly amused by a small group doing shots of vodka off of an ice sculpture.

Her eyes were caught by a tall young man she hadn’t noticed earlier at all. Surprised by the eye contact and immediately self-conscious, she averted her eyes back to the ice sculpture shenanigans.

Irritation and mild dread were already starting to creep in. Men would occasionally advance on her at these things, and although they didn’t all seem awful, Lillian had always found it difficult to relax around them. She wasn’t very talkative, and tended to make awkward comments when she felt nervous. She was self-conscious and sarcastic, especially around the opposite sex. She’d had boyfriends and flings before, but they were pretty few and far between, and lately she'd felt much better, happier, and more productive being unattached.

Curious though, she found her eyes wandering over closer to where she’d seen the tall young man.

He wasn’t looking at her anymore, which relieved her. He was talking with a small group of other young men, who, mostly due to their slovenly attire and bad posture, appeared to be programmers. The young man himself wasn’t sloppily dressed at all; his attire was neat and smart, and it consisted of a dark sweater vest over a long-sleeved button-down shirt, and dark, pressed pants. She immediately noticed his very large blue eyes, large nose, and pale, almost unhealthy complexion. He wasn’t unattractive exactly, but definitely odd-looking. Lillian continued to surreptitiously watch him. He was very thin and gangly, round-shouldered, and his brown hair was combed neatly to the side. Watching him speak, she inexplicably did rather like the look of him. She saw him smile at something one of his colleagues was saying, and then his eyes flicked back over to hers. 

Lillian immediately averted her eyes, her face growing warm. She felt foolish.

She refused to look again.

Looking at her club soda instead, she prodded at it with her straw. Drops of cool condensation trickled down the outside of the glass.

Please stop looking at me, she thought to herself, bringing the drink to her lips.

“Hey!” Lillian jumped in alarm and her beverage splashed onto her, a little on her face, a little on her blouse.

“Where have you been?” Jamie leaned in, a little breathless. Lillian blotted herself with a napkin. “They’re passing out Jell-O shots! Come on!”

Lillian followed Jamie reluctantly, and was grateful that the Jell-O shot dispersal was a distance away from where the tall young man had been.

She took the Jell-O shot, with Jamie and a large group of people she didn’t know, feeling a tad silly. Although she did enjoy the occasional few beers, she rarely drank at large public gatherings, preferring to have her wits about her. Jamie tended to get sloshed, and tonight didn’t seem like an exception. 

“That tall guy is totally checking you out,” Jamie said, not-so-discreetly.

Lillian reluctantly spotted him a distance away, not looking at her but speaking to a different small group, and smiling. Although his features were rather ghostly, she did like his smile. 

“He’s sort of cute, in like a ‘Norman Bates’ kinda way,” Jamie commented, giggling.

“Shut up,” Lillian protested.

“Kinda funny-looking though.” Jamie brushed her bangs to the side. “Why don’t you give him a come-hither look, Lilly? I mean, why not?”

Lilian rolled her eyes. “Jamie, please stop,” she begged, but she couldn’t help smile. “Besides, I don’t have a ‘come-hither’ look.”

“Look back,” Jamie explained matter-of-factly. “All you have to do is look back. You’re gonna want to not look, I know you, but force that feeling aside and just point your eyeballs at him. That’s all you need to do, dummy. Try standing up straight. And, oh my God, maybe even give a little smile? Like, the TINIEST smile? That’s all it takes. If he doesn’t come talk to you after that, then he’s a pussy.”

“Shhh,” Lillian hushed.

“Whatever, I’m right. Look, if he turns out to be a creep, then just make some dumb excuse like you have to take me home or something. Then just find me. No worries.” Jamie gave her a kiss on the cheek and walked away.

Conflicted and uncomfortable, Lillian stood for a moment, unconsciously wiping her cheek where Jamie had kissed her. She hesitantly stepped over to a side table beside some sort of glass pane with rivulets of water trickling pleasantly down its surface, after obtaining another club soda. Jamie was now busy laughing with some coworkers. She was a social butterfly, and easy to talk to, which were things that Lillian was definitely not. And it was their unspoken understanding that they keep an eye out for each other. You could never be too careful around the overconfident, overworked, and occasionally overindulged when they were around tons of free booze.

After a few moments of reflection, she turned her head, took a deep breath, and looked across the room. She tended to slouch, so she forced herself to straighten her back, attempting to relax. She hated being so nervous, but she’d been that way as long as she could remember. Tonight was no exception. She highly doubted she’d be approached, and that was fine with her. Preferable, in fact.

Bright, large eyes met hers again, and although her first instinct was to look away, she decided to hold the gaze. Absurdly, the only way she could make herself do that was to pretend to be someone else for a second. Someone reasonably okay with looking people in the eyes. It felt like an eternity, even though she knew it was simply a few seconds. Her eyes were wide, uncertain, and although her face was hot and she felt like a fool, the young man’s expression pleased her. He simply met her eyes, nothing more, a very slight smile touching his expression. It was gentle, and calm. Astoundingly, Lillian felt herself mirroring his calmness, and allowed the tiniest smile to touch her eyes, before panicking and breaking the eye contact, lowering her eyes and sipping from her straw. She then thought that maybe sipping from the straw was suggestive, so she stopped, looking towards where she had last seen Jamie. Unable to spot her, she turned her head, not realizing she was turning the entire upper half of her body, and accidentally brushed a small table decoration to the floor.

“Dammit,” Lillian muttered, bending down to find it. She couldn’t at first, and searched under the neighboring table, which was empty, then spotted it. She picked it up and set it down, wiping her hands on her slacks and feeling foolish again. She then spotted Jamie, who was now walking with a couple of coworkers towards the karaoke machine.

“Hello,” the voice was clear and resonant. It surprised her to the point of near terror. She turned to see the tall young man before her, and he was much taller than she'd originally thought. 

She remained quiet for a second, her face burning, her usual social awkwardness rendering her speechless. Her eyes regarded him uncertainly.

“I’m Jared,” the young man stated simply, his eyes an alarmingly pale blue. He had birdlike facial features, and a very prominent nose. Lillian still couldn’t force any words out. Her heart was racing.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you feeling alright? Would you like me to find your friend?”

Jared’s mannerisms were surprisingly gentle, almost extremely so. They reminded her of a mortician, or perhaps, in a strange way, a man of the cloth. The thought almost enticed a nervous giggle from her lips.

“I’m fine,” Lillian breathed. “I mean, I’m Lillian?” It came out sounding like a question. Her face continued to burn with embarrassment.

“Jesus Christ, I know my own name. I’m Lillian.” She scoffed quietly.

Jared smiled again, his lips thin but his teeth bright.

“Lillian.” He repeated. “What a lovely name. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Jared.”

He put out his hand and she shook it. His hand was slender, and warm.

“I just realized that I told you my name twice.”

“That’s okay.” She was finding it hard to breathe.

His voice was pleasant to listen to. Extremely anxious at first, she decided to simply listen before conversing. As they spoke, Jared proved to be well-mannered, gentle, and quite intriguing. He was definitely an odd young man, with his gangly physique and asexual, teacher-like aura, but he seemed perfectly comfortable in his own skin, something which Lillian wished she could be more often. He definitely had an odd sense of humor, and laughed genuinely at Lillian’s intermittent sarcasm. She listened more than she spoke, but she did briefly explain her business at the party and what she did for a living. Even though he reminded her of a librarian or a priest-in-training, she did find herself enjoying the look and feel of him, and found him quite charming. During occasional pauses in the conversation, she wasn’t sure if she imagined it, but she felt an energy between them, a sort of slow warmth that heightened during the quiet seconds that her eyes met his. And as their conversation continued effortlessly, for some time, and perhaps due to Jared’s non-aggressive and gentle way of speaking, Lillian’s confidence and level of comfort grew. Surprising herself, she looked at Jared’s lips and briefly imagined what it would be like to be kissed by them, and glanced up and down his figure, imagining what it would be like to be pressed against it. The idea made her cheeks flush again, and she immediately regretted the thought. These were thoughts she hadn’t had in a very long time, and they made her uncomfortable.

“What is it?” Jared asked, his eyes inquisitive. His eyebrows were expressive arches.

Lillian sighed, her eyes downcast. Then she looked up.

“Why did you start talking to me?”

“I’m sorry?” Jared asked, a quizzical expression on his face.

“Um, why did you start talking to me?”

Jared blinked, looking directly at her.

“Well…” 

She looked at him with wide eyes, her heart thumping. She wasn’t even sure why she’d asked such a ridiculous question.

To scare him off, she admitted to herself, hating the truth.

“Maybe I’m only imagining this, but I have to say, when I saw you earlier, and when you looked at me, something just sort of…drew me to you.” His expression was sincere, almost innocent.

Lillian blushed furiously. 

“It was like…and I don’t mean to sound cliché…but it was...magnetic. I can’t really explain it.” He smiled at himself, shaking his head, surrendering. Lillian remained silent, her mind buzzing.

Jared’s smile slowly disappeared, then began to darken with doubt.

“Was I just imagining it?” His expressive eyes saddened.

Lillian, delighted and terrified at the same time, kept looking at him, and then a bright, carefree smile began to emerge across her face.

“Oh, you have a lovely smile.” Jared murmured. It was almost a whisper. The sounds of it was surprisingly intimate.

They were interrupted by a worried-looking young man with glasses. “Are you Lillian?” 

“Um, yes…”

“Do you know Jamie?”

“Yes,” she answered.

“Okay, well, I really think you should check on her, she’s pretty wasted.”

“Okay, um…show me where she is please.” She looked at Jared, unsure of what to say to him.

“I can be of help, if you need it,” he offered, his hands vacillating between being folded and being outstretched. 

“Okay. I apologize in advance for any weirdness.”

“I’m no stranger to weirdness,” Jared commented offhandedly.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Several minutes later, Jamie was safely handled into the back of her car, her keys in Lillian’s hands. It had started sprinkling, and the mid-September air was touched with a slight chill. She turned to Jared, who had proven to be helpful without being intrusive. He stood with his hands folded.

“Thank you for your help,” Lillian stated simply.

“It was nothing, really. It’s not the first time I’ve had to help someone who was in their cups.”

They looked at each other, not saying anything.

“Okay, well, I have to go. It was really nice meeting you, Jared.” Lillian hesitated, not sure of how to proceed.

Jared looked at her directly, nodding, an easy smile beginning to touch his features.

“Lillian, I’m just going to say it…I would really like to see you again.”

She smiled back shyly, her eyes flitting up to his.

“Um, do you have a pen?” she asked.

“Oh…yes, I do,” he turned his shoulders to the side, pulling out a pen from his pocket and handing it to her. “Here,” he said, offering his open hand to write on. As they stepped closer to each other, she saw him glance down at her, and felt her face growing warm again. She took his hand, and he leaned in closer to protect it from the light drizzle. His hand was large, with long, firm fingers. She carefully wrote her information on his skin, enjoying every second of the close contact. Jared was silent, watching her. He exuded a warm energy that she could sense and feel vividly, like a scent. She felt herself responding to it despite herself. She looked up at him, meeting his bright blue eyes with her own brown ones.

“Okay, bye.” She whispered, despising how unfriendly her words sounded in her own ears. She had no idea what else to say.

“Goodnight Lillian,” he said quietly. It was dark. 

Nearly crippled by the confusing assortment of thoughts and feelings within her, she hurriedly turned away and entered the driver’s seat, putting her keys in the ignition.

She saw Jared’s silhouette stand for a moment, then turn and begin to walk back into the party.

Her heart pounding, hands on the steering wheel, Lillian squeezed her eyes shut, letting out a breath. Hardly realizing what she was doing, she opened the door and stepped out, trotting quickly toward the retreating figure.

“Jared?”

He turned around, his eyes wide.

Heart racing, she ran the last few steps, reaching up to his shoulders, her fingers grasping the shoulders of his sweater vest, and she felt him lean down towards her.  


Without thought, she closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his, exchanging a warm and electric kiss. She felt him respond immediately, his arms beginning to encircle her waist and bring her closer. She finished the kiss quickly with a final moment of sweet pressure, enjoying the feel of his mouth against hers. Then she pulled herself away, loving Jared’s mixed expression of surprise, delight, and pleasure. His eyes were bright in the darkness, and she smiled at him again, looking at him as she backed away. She couldn’t believe she had done what she had just done.

“Goodnight Jared,” she said quietly, the barest hint of soft flirtatiousness in her voice.

He met the expression, a delighted twinkle appearing in his eyes.

“Goodnight,” he said softly.


End file.
